1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD), and more particularly, to a production layout for an LCD.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
LCD devices are widely used as mobile displays for notebook computer monitors. The LCD devices are also under development for televisions (TVs) for receiving and displaying broadcasting signals.
An LCD device is provided with a liquid crystal display panel for displaying a picture and a driving part for providing a driving signal to the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel has two glass substrates bonded together with a gap between the substrates, and a liquid crystal is injected between the two glass substrates.
The LCD device is manufactured by performing a bonding process and a hardening process in sequence. The bonding process is to bond a color filter substrate and a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate together to make a predetermined cell region after depositing a sealant and dropping a liquid crystal. The hardening process is to harden the sealant after performing the bonding process and includes an ultraviolet (UV) hardening process and a thermal hardening process. In the UV hardening process, the sealant is primarily hardened using irradiation of light after the bonded substrates are fed on a production layout. In the thermal hardening process, both the sealant and liquid crystal are hardened using heat of high temperature.
The bonding process is performed in vacuum. Because the substrates are bonded together in a state that they are adsorbed in a chuck by static electricity, much static electricity remains in the substrates after the bonding process. The static electricity may increase a defect ratio. Therefore, a separate electrostatic removal process may be required prior to the thermal hardening process following the UV hardening process.
When an additional space for the electrostatic removal process is required, the length of an overall production layout, i.e., footprint is increased and tact time is also increased.
Further, the electrostatic removal process is performed for a short time, approximately, ten minutes or less. This may minimize increase of tact time required to manufacture the LCD. However, electrostatic removal of the substrates may not be sufficiently performed. For this reason, a defect caused by the static electricity may be present. Accordingly, there is a need of an LCD device that substantially obviates drawbacks of the related art.